The present invention relates to an apparatus for washing and disinfecting-sterilizing an endoscope.
An endoscope for medical treatment must be washed, disinfected and sterilized every time the endoscope is used. In the conventional washing-disinfecting apparatus, the endoscope is set in a washing vessel and then, a washing solution is spurted from a spurting nozzle mounted within the washing vessel against the endoscope. At the same time, the washing solution is supplied into the tubular passageway of the endoscope so as to wash the endoscope. Then, the endoscope is dipped in a disinfecting-sterilizing solution, and the solution is supplied into the tubular passageway of the endoscope so as to disinfect and sterilize the endoscope.
Further, clean water is spurted against the endoscope and supplied into the tubular passageway of the endoscope so as to perform the rinsing. Finally, air is supplied into the tubular passageway of the endoscope so as to dry the inner space of the tubular passageway. It is also known in the art that, in place of using a spurting nozzle, the endoscope is dipped in a washing solution stored in a washing vessel so as to wash the endoscope.
In another type of the apparatus, warm water is spurted from a spurting nozzle for washing the endoscope, followed by spurting from a spurting nozzle a disinfecting-sterilizing solution against the endoscope so as to disinfect and sterilize the endoscope.
In the former apparatus for washing and sterilizing the endoscope, glutaric aldehyde is used as a disinfecting-sterilizing agent. This sterilizing agent produces the prominent function of sterilizing various bacteria and viruses, but requires a long treatment time. For example, the sterilizing agent is said to require 45 minutes of the disinfecting time and 10 hours of the sterilizing time. Therefore, in inspections in which sufficient treating time cannot be allowed, it is unavoidable to shorten the treating time, leading to an insufficient disinfecting-sterilizing effect. Alternatively, the number of inspections must be decreased.
Also, the disinfecting-sterilizing agent of glutaric aldehyde must be diluted in advance to have a predetermined concentration, and the diluted disinfecting-sterilizing agent must be injected in an amount of about 20 L (liters) into the washing-disinfecting apparatus. In performing the injecting operation, an activating agent is added to about 3 to 5L of the disinfecting-sterilizing solution, followed by shaking the resultant solution 4 to 6 times and subsequently injecting the solution into the washing-disinfecting apparatus. These operations give a big burden to the user.
In the latter apparatus for washing and sterilizing an endoscope, the washing solution and the disinfecting-sterilizing solution are used in a warmed condition. Naturally, the warming takes a long time, leading to a long washing-disinfecting time. Also, requirement of the warming means leads to a high washing-disinfecting cost. Further, in order to allow the spurted disinfecting-sterilizing agent to permeate into the endoscope without fail, the endoscope must be set over a large space so as to prevent parts of the endoscope from overlapping each other. As a result, the washing-disinfecting apparatus is rendered bulky.
It should also be noted that the disinfecting sterilizing agent, which is spurted, is unlikely to permeate into fine portions of the endoscope, making it necessary to perform the disinfecting-sterilizing step for a long time. A disinfecting-sterilizing agent of glutaric aldehyde type is also used in the washing disinfecting apparatus of this type. Since the disinfecting-sterilizing agent must be warmed, the agent is promptly deteriorated, making it necessary to discard the remaining agent every day. As a result, the operating cost is increased.
The endoscope includes various kinds including, for example, an endoscope for stomach, an endoscope for duodenum, an endoscope for large-intestine, and an endoscope for bronchia. The endoscope for stomach does not include a special tubular passageway. Also, the tubular passageway is short and a has an appropriate thickness. Therefore, the washing and water removal can be performed in a short time. On the other hand, the endoscope for duodenum has a very thin tubular passageway and requires a long washing time, making it necessary to use a pipe for rising the forceps. Also, it is necessary to introduce high pressure air into the tubular passageway for removing water.
The endoscope for large intestine includes a long inserting section and a thick tubular passageway, making it necessary to wash the endoscope and remove water from the endoscope carefully and sufficiently. Further, the endoscope for bronchia has a fine tubular passageway. The endoscope can be washed easily in a short time. Also, water removal from the endoscope can be performed easily. However, the tubercle bacillus attached to the bronchia has a high resistance to chemicals, making it necessary to carry out the disinfection-sterilization for a long time.
AS described above, the endoscopes differ from each other in construction depending on kind. If these endoscopes are washed and sterilized under the same conditions, the washing-disinfecting is insufficient in some kinds of endoscopes and is excessive in other kinds of endoscopes so as to give detrimental effects to the endoscopes. Also, it is undesirable in economy to perform an excessive washing-disinfecting operation.
The conventional apparatus for washing-disinfecting an endoscope includes a washing vessel and holding sections mounted within the washing vessel for holding a plurality of endoscopes. A detection switch is mounted to each of the holding sections. If endoscopes to be washed are set on the holding sections within the washing vessel, the detection switches are turned on so as to detect the kind of endoscope based on the number of endoscopes set on the holding sections, the thickness of the inserting section of the endoscope, etc. Also, the treatment times for the washing, disinfecting-sterilizing, rinsing and water-removing steps are set in accordance with the number and kinds of endoscopes.
In the conventional apparatus, however, the washing-disinfecting conditions are set on the basis of the number of endoscopes set in the washing vessel. Also, the washing-disinfecting conditions are set by detecting the kind of endoscope depending on the thickness of the endoscope. In the conventional apparatus, it is certainly possible to detect the kinds of endoscopes such as those for stomach, for duodenum, for large intestine or for bronchia. However, new endoscopes differing from the conventional endoscopes in thickness, shape and construction are being developed successively, making it difficult to accurately detect the kind of endoscope.
It should also be noted that the washing vessel, particularly the ceiling of the washing vessel, is contaminated during the washing step of the endoscope, making it necessary to wash the ceiling of the washing vessel while washing the endoscope. Therefore, a nozzle for washing the ceiling is also mounted within the washing vessel to allow the washing solution to be spurted from the nozzle against the ceiling of the washing vessel. Incidentally, the washing solution used for washing the endoscope and the ceiling is circulated by using a pump so as to use the washing solution again to reduce the operation costs and for environmental concerns.
Since the washing solution used for washing the endoscope is reused to wash the ceiling of the washing vessel, it is possible for the washing solution of the ceiling to contain a large amount of contaminants such as bacteria. Naturally, these contaminants tend to be blown against the ceiling together with the washing solution. Also, if the pressure for spurting the washing solution against the ceiling is not sufficiently high, it is impossible to sufficiently wash away the contaminants such as bacteria attached to the ceiling of the washing vessel. It is also difficult to sufficiently remove the washing solution attached to the ceiling in the rising step for removing the washing solution.
Needless to say, the ceiling of the washing vessel must be kept clean. Otherwise, the contaminants such as bacteria attached to the ceiling tend to be transferred onto the endoscope set in the washing vessel. It follows that the endoscope once washed and disinfected tends to be contaminated again.
Under the circumstances, the washing vessel is not washed in the washing step by the washing means mounted within the washing vessel, and the washing of the washing vessel by the washing means mounted within the washing vessel is performed after the washing step so as to remove without fail the contaminants attached to the ceiling of the washing vessel and, thus, to prevent the endoscope from being contaminated with the contaminants coming from the ceiling.
However, the wall or ceiling of the washing vessel has a large area, making it difficult to uniformly spray the wall or ceiling with the washing solution. Also, it is necessary to use additional equipment for the spraying, leading to a high apparatus cost and to the complex structure of the apparatus.
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for washing and disinfecting-sterilizing an endoscope in a short time without fail.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for washing and disinfecting-sterilizing an endoscope, comprising a vessel in which an endoscope can be mounted, washing solution supply means for supplying a washing solution for washing an endoscope into the vessel, washing means for washing the endoscope mounted within the vessel with the washing solution, and disinfecting-sterilizing solution supply means for supplying an oxide-based disinfecting-sterilizing solution into the vessel, wherein the endoscope mounted within the vessel is disinfected and sterilized with the oxide-based disinfecting-sterilizing solution.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of washing-disinfecting-sterilizing an endoscope, comprising the steps of supplying a washing solution into a vessel having an endoscope mounted therein for washing the endoscope, and supplying an oxide-based disinfecting-sterilizing solution into the vessel so as to disinfect-sterilize the endoscope with the disinfecting-sterilizing solution.
In the method of the present invention, the entire endoscope is washed with a washing solution containing as a main component an alkaline or enzyme-based detergent, followed by disinfecting-sterilizing the entire endoscope with an oxide-based disinfecting-sterilizing solution. The oxide-based disinfecting-sterilizing solution exhibits a high sterilizing power, making it possible to shorten markedly the time for the disinfecting-sterilizing step, compared with use of the conventional disinfecting-sterilizing solution.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided An apparatus for washing and disinfecting-sterilizing an endoscope by dipping an endoscope in a washing solution or disinfecting-sterilizing solution stored in a vessel, comprising, reading means for reading data stored in the endoscope, and setting means for setting the conditions for washing and disinfecting the endoscope based on the data read by the reading means.
Various data such as the kind of the endoscope, the date of manufacture and the date of delivery, which are stored in the endoscope, are read out by the reading apparatus so as to set the conditions for washing and disinfecting-sterilizing the endoscope, making it possible to perform the washing and disinfecting-sterilizing appropriately for each of the endoscopes.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.